Investing in Industrial Communication

MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota—February 1, 2019—Pepperl+Fuchs, a leading developer of industrial automation technology, will acquire the business of Comtrol Corporation effective February 1st, 2019. Comtrol is a US based pioneer in industrial Ethernet communication and IO-Link gateway products known for its RocketPort® product family, among others. Comtrol’s technologies will complement Pepperl+Fuchs’ portfolio of Sensorik4.0® sensor solutions and interface technologies that includes AS-Interface, IO-Link masters, and industrial connectivity. Expanding its offering of Ethernet communication products and field-interfacing devices ties into Pepperl+Fuchs’ Industry 4.0 strategy and will allow the company to provide even more solutions that close the gap between field devices and the control level.

To ensure that Comtrol customers will be able to source products and conduct business as usual, a new company, Pepperl+Fuchs Comtrol Inc., has been established. Pepperl+Fuchs Comtrol Inc. remains located in Minneapolis. With the integration of Pepperl+Fuchs Comtrol Inc. into the Pepperl+Fuchs Group, Comtrol customers will benefit from the group’s global reach and gain access to additional automation technologies.

“An enhanced Pepperl+Fuchs IO-Link product range will help our customers improve the flow of data from field devices to the control level and the cloud. Customers will be able to turn to a single, trusted partner to help develop their newest digital business processes,” says Reiner Müller, President of the Factory Automation Division at Pepperl+Fuchs.